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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lean · rest · rule · perch · mouse · march · racket · ground

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rule — government
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. rule — a law
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. march — the month
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ground — crushed
  14. rest — a break
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. lean — to bend
  17. ground — the earth
  18. march — music
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. march — the month
  21. perch — the fish
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. ground — a position
  24. lean — thin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com